The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-17
a GOOD FELLOW,
The History OF Man Who Treated tho
World Better Than 1t Deserved.


Didn't know Rodgers. did you-Abra-
ham Rodgers, &. &. Z. which means gen
eraI good man? Well, / did, and /
helped bury him yesterday.
When l first knew Rodgers, he was a
young fellow of Is, and the title of
good fellow had already settled upon
him. II they wanted the old church
swept Tor Sunday. or the bell rung for
prayer-meeting some one asked Rodgers
TO do it. II any old bunker fell sick and
hankered for rabbit soup, Rodgers was
asked to go out and hunt for the rabbit,
II any old woman wanted sassafras root
for herbs, Rodgers was the good fellow
who'd go to the fields and woods on
her errand.
No one ever thought of Offering him
money In payment for his time, and It
Is only his due to say that he wouldn't
have accepted 1t IL they had. He was ex-
pected 10 pound down the nailheads in
the sidewalks. replace broken pIanks,
have an eye on the bridge, paint the
schoolhOuse steps, replace the broken
glass In the church and be the guardian
him kick.
Later on. the old man jackson fell
SICK, and when watchers were re-
quired he expressed his desire to hays
Rodgers come to the house and stay
Rodgers went, put IN sixteen days and
nights OF hard work, aud VIXEN the ola
man died the widow tee.ingly exclaimed:
On, Abraham, but you 4,o Il noble
young man! can never, never repay
your
she never did-never even offered him
the value Of pair Of stockings, although
She was left $50, OOJ.
Then Aunt Nancy Lee fell sick and
died and Rodgers had just begun his
day 5 work as q carpeuter ~uen one Of
the Lee boys rode up with the news and
added:
- And the very last thing she said was
that you must be chief pall-bearer Aunt
Nancy always loved you, and you must
come"
Rodgers Went, Aunt Nancy forgot to say
that Le should DepaiI Tor his Gays work,
although she leI. ST., ,UGO TO the heather,
ana SO Rodgers WAS out again.
He had scarcely settled down TO work
when some one dlscoyer,d that the old
hand ire engine which had been slowed
away Tor So years ought 10 be put IL
condition. A leading c.-izeu suggested
TO Rodgers 10 60 ahead am fix the old
tub up and his bill Should be paid by
subscription. Rodgers tiuk-rsd away
i? ior week and Z lea1Ing grocer gave
him d bar OF soap, and dry goods man
came down with roll of Iape The
eLort TO reward him died out with that
Rodgers lived just that sort OF Il life
until he was 4Oyear5 old. II even Uut Of
getting married 10 SIT up with T. 7lcis horse
anu be rewarded with d thank YOU. l.
one year ne was pGII-bcar-r al twenty
two funerals. and sat up with fourteen
different dead people.
" hen he WORKED for pay people paid
MN WAen they got ready. When there
same week IL which som ebody did not
wait him 10 comEoun a salvc, repair "A
tub, sit up with corpse, subscribe for
mill-dam, raj road or punlic hall, or
give days work 10 p.5lic iinrroV ement
or charity, Mrs. ROdgers i.It that the
!udSment day could IOl be tsr of.
He lad put In three weeks looking
up Widow Dayis's lO5t CIV, a .,.-ing roots
Tor Widow jenkins. and sitting up with
Elder Smith, when Judge FToth suddenly
died.
or course his last words were:
lall In tho ,TI.Cs OF nv country
and w.nt Abraham RoI.ers L. ba ,.i,io;
boss at my funeral. l will and beoueatn
my $4,000 to my wife, and leave my
thanks TO Abraham"
Rodgers bossed the funeral. He hor-
rowed ali the chairs, got the singers To-
gether, formed the funeral procession
anu RODE Two miles 70 the grave in a
pouring rain to stand with uncovered
head. Next day he was III, and yester-
Gay, as told you, l helped bury him.
when ne died he hadn a dollar In the
mouse. he had selected cemetery lots
Ior nity people, but he had none of his
own. He had helped to put as Inany
into c-skets, but he was buried in a
plain collin at the expense Of his friends.
Very few OF his fr.end- turned out. as
thy were busy with their work. He
had formed funeral PROFESSIONS half a
mile long Tor 'squires. elders, deacons
anu JUICES, but there were ONLY four
Nehlcies III his The clergyman seemed
10 De in hurry. the graye-digger was
impatient Tor u To be gone and as
We turned away some one remarked:
on, his wife viii get along ONE way /
willows always do -[Delroit Free |
Press.